Wheel mounting



Dec. 2, 1941. A, M, GRAHAM v2,264,635

WHEEL MOUNTING Filed July 27, 194C A Trop/vins.

Patented Dec. 2, 1.941

Adelbert M. Graham, Beverly Hills,

G. L. Smith, Los Angeles,

signor to Walter (lalif.

Calif., as-

Application July 27, 1940, Serial No. 341,845

3 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to a wheel mount, that is, to the supporting mount for a rotating member such as a pulley, roller, sheave, or wh'eel of any other type. The wheel mount of this invention is characterized by a stationary axle or shaft and a. rolling contact bearing of either the ball or roller type disposed between the axle and the rotating member. It is disclosed in connection with a roller and a stationary shaft upon which the roller is mounted, but it will be readilyapparent that the invention is adapted for use in any device comprising a stationary sh'aft or spindle and a wheel member rotatable thereon.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 287,599, filed July 3l,

1939, now Patent Number 2,255,314, for a I-toller.'l

mounting.

It is an object of this invention to provide a wheel mount comprising roller contact bearings in which the rolling elements of the bearing shall be afforded a continuous supply of clean, fresh lubricant.

It is another object of this invention to provide a wheel mount comprising rolling contact bearings in which the bearing element shall not become overheated.

It is another object of this invention to provide in a wheel mount comprising rolling contact bearings a construction such that the bearing elements may be positively supplied with lubricant under pressure which shall at. all times reach every portion of surface of everyelement of the bearing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a roller mount embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlargement of that portion of Fig. l

showing 'the left-hand ball bearing and adjacent parts;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. i. t The rotor of the lmount is sh'own as a roller I I having a bore chamber I2 `comprising two central chambers I3 each in the kshape of a frustrum of a cone and the two chambers communicating at their smaller ends at the median transverse plane of the bore at I6. The bore chamber I2 also has an outer cylindrical chamber I5 at each end which' communicates with the larger end of the adjacent conical chamber I3, providing at the junction plane an annular shoulder IS by reason of the larger diameter of the chamber I5.

In each of the cylindrical chambers I5 is `eated a ball bearing I'I which abuts the shoulder I6 at Aits inner end and is disposed withits outer race 55 I8 and its inner race. I9 in tight-'fitting engagement with the pulley I I and a stationarily mounted shaft 20, respectively, in the usual manner of ball bearing assemblies.

The inner'race I9 of the ball bearing Il ,abuts vbracket; or standard 24 and is held against longitudinal displacement with respect to the standard 24 between a spacer nut 25 and a retaining nut 26, both of which have threaded engagement with the shaft.

An annular ball chamber 21 of the ball bearing I1 is closed at its longitudinally outer end by means of a felt sealing ring 28 which is held in operative position by the two retaining rings 29 and 30. These rings are of the usual split-ring type and in the assembly of the bearing are sprung into place between a shoulder 3l on the outer race I8 at the outer end of th'e chamber 2l and an annular flange 32 projecting radially inwardly from the longitudinally outer end of the outer race I8.

It will thus be seen that the outer race I8. inner race I9, and a seal-retaining ring 29 form an annular chamber 21 of rectangular cross section closed on three sides of the rectangle and open on the side toward the bore chamber I2. In this annular chamber 21 are mounted balls 33 each of which has any outer rolling contact with a' groove 34 in the outer race I8 and an inner rolling contact with a groove 35 in the inner race I9. 'I'he balls 33 are held in spaced relation in an annular row between the grooves 34 and 35 by a retainer or cage 36. The cage 3B is `of standard type consisting of a longitudinally inner side 3l and a longitudinally outer side 38 each 'side consisting of a series of arcuate sections 39 spaced a short distance from and conforming to the surface of one of the balls and of webs 40 connecting the arcuate sections 39. The two sides 31 and 38 of the cage 36 are held in rigid relationship by rivets 4Iy through the webs 49.

The bore chamber I2 and the bearing chambers isfactorily perform its lubricating function but is preferably grease of semi-solid consistency.

When the roller II rotates 'about the shaft 20 the lubricant circulates within the chambers I3 and 21 in the direction indicated by the arrows on Figs. l and 2. Considering the left end of the structure (see Fig. 2), the lubricant flows leftward in the radially outermost portion of the chamber I3 which is adjacent the conically tapered surface 42 of the roller II. It enters the radially outer portion of the bearing chamber 21, flows leftward in chamber 21, flows centrally toward the inner race I9, and then in` a rightward direction across the innermost portion of the ball chamber 21 to the radially inner portion of the chamber I3. Within the chamber I3 the circulation is in general toward the right in the zone adjacent the shaft 20 to the central transverse plane of the structure at I4 where it moves radially outwardly to the surface 42 and then to the left adjacent that surface of the ball chamber 21.

This circulation provides an adequate supply of clean, fresh lubricant at all times to the operative surfaces of the ball bearing I1, it prevents stagnation of any of the lubricant within the bearing chamber 21, eliminating the heating and break-down of the lubricant which such stagnation causes. Abrasion of the balls and races is reduced to a minimum and the very small quantity of metallic particles, which in a wheel mount constructed in accordance with this invention are separated by rupture from the balls andv races, is rapidly conveyed from the bearing surfaces where otherwise it would promote the rupture of additional metallic particles.

The circulation of the lubricant as above described is explained as follows. 'I'he rotative velocity of the lubricant in the bearing chamber 21 is less than that of lubricant in the chamber I3 at the same radial distance from the axis of the shaft 20, due to frictional contact of the lubricant with the bearing balls which rotate bodily about the shaft at half the speed of the roller II and outer race I8, and with the cage 36 which also rotates at the speed of the balls, and due to frictional contact with the inner race I9, which is stationary. Consequently the centrifugal force applied to the lubricant in the bearing chamber 21 and the fluid pressure resulting therefrom is also less than that of the lubricant in the chamber I3 for corresponding radial distances.

As a result of this pressure relationship, a ball bearing which is sealed at one end and communicates at the other end with a lubricant reservoir acts as a pump withdrawing lubricant from the outer portion of the reversoir and returning it to the inner portion thereof. Referring to Fig. 2 lubricant flows from the outermost portion of the chamber I3 into the radially outer portion of the chamber 21 beyond the outer edges of the cage 36 towardthe left end of chamber 21, flows centrally around the sides of the balls and the cage and leaves the right end of chamber 21 adjacent the stationary inner race I9.

If the chamber I3 were cylindrical, the ball bearing would still act as a pump, but the radlally outward return movement of lubricant in the chamber I3 wouldbe confined to a thin disk shaped zone at the end of the chamber and adjacent, the ball bearing. When, however, the chamber 4I3 is shaped with a conical surface 42,

-a general circulation of lubricant within the chamber I3 is effected from left to right adjacent the shaft 20 and from right to left adiacent the surface 42.

If the left end of the chamber I3 were closed instead of being in open communication with the ball bearing chamber 21, it is obvious that no circulation of lubricant in the chamber I3 would occur. vl3nt when, due to the retarding influence of the balls and cage of the ball bearing, lubricant is drawn into the communicating chamber 21 from the radially outer and left-hand annular corner zone of the chamber I3, lubricant longitudinally to the right of the lubricant thus drawn into the chamber 21, moves leftward to take its place. This is true because the effective longitudinal component oi' the centrifugal force acting on lubricant lying against the surface 42 is relatively great enough in comparison with the effective centrifugal force acting upon lubricant located more centrally of the chamber I3 to cause the lubricant to move to the left at the same time that it is moving radially outwardly toward the surface 42. With proper design lubricant in the annularly inner and outer zones of the chamber I3 will move to the right and left respectively, and at the same time there will be a movement of lubricant from the annularly inner zone to the annularly outer zone at all points from the ball bearing I1 to thecentral transverse plane of the structure at I4, this movement being more pronounced adjacent the small end of the chamber I3.

By mounting a roller of transparent Bakelite in accordance with this invention, it has been denitely established by.visua1 observation of colored particles in the lubricant that when the chambers I3 and bearing chambers 21 are filled with a lubricant and the roller rotated, the lubricant circulates through each chamber I3 from the bearing end to the end at I4 and back to the bearing end in exactly the manner above described. A roller mounted in accordance with this invention in4 an uncompleted test run has been revolving continuously at an average speed of about 475 R. P. M. for more than 9400 hours. It shows no bearing play andhas run at a cool temperature at all times.

The essence of the invention is in the combination in a Wheel mount of a primarily radially functioning roller contact bearing and a lubricant reservoir communicating with the bearing chamber and either shaped to cause internal circulation of lubricant or otherwise provided with means for eectingythis circulation.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a wheel mount. the combination of: a shaft; a wheel having a bore in the form of` a cone frustrum and providing a lubricant chamber; a radially acting rolling contact bearing between the shaft and wheel at the large end of said bore, the bearing chamber communicating with said lubricant chamber at the plane oi' the base of said cone frustrum; means for preventing loss of lubricant from said lubricant chamber through said bearing chamber: and means for preventing loss of lubricant from said lubricant chamber from the small diameter end thereof.

2. In a wheel mount, the combination of: a shaft; a wheel defining with the shaft a lubricant chamber liquid-tight between its ends; a radially acting rolling contact bearing including a cage at each end of and communicating endwise with said chamber; and a sealing closure at the longitudinally outer end of each bearing, said chamber having lateral surfaces flaring radially and longitudinally outwardly from its median transverse plane to the transverse planes of the communicating openings between said bearings and said chamber.

3. In a wheel mount, the combination of: a

shaft; a wheeldenlng with the shaft a lubricant chamber liquid-tight between itsends; and a radially acting roller contact bearing at each end of said chamber lcomprising inner and outer races .defining an annular chamber of generally rectangular cross section and further comprising rolling contact members and a cage therefor 

